Caramel Popcorn Recipe Here is a super easy way to make some great caramel popcorn. Pop your favorite popcorn and be sure to pick out any un-popped kernels. In a microwave safe bowl or a small sauce pan-2 quart Melt 1/4 cup butter add 1/2 cup brown sugar 2 T. white corn syrup cook for 1 minute Add 1/4 t. baking soda and 1/2 t. vanilla Mix together quickly and pour over popped corn in a large bowl and stir to coat. It takes a few times to adjust the amount of caramel to the amount of popped corn.  Enjoy! Real estate needs:  www.SelectAnn.com .     For all your real estate needs in the St. Louis area.  Updated daily.  Sign on for FREE!  Whether you are buying or selling, let me help you! All rights reserved and may not be reproduced or reprinted without express written permission of Ann H... 02/23/2010

Wake Up Missouri..Stop the Transfer Tax Missouri residents, agents...etc, act NOW to stop the transfer tax.  What is the transfer tax?  A real estate transfer tax is a tax paid when you close on a property.  The tax would be a percentage of the total sales price charged/paid and paid by every seller, buyer or both at closing. The taxes are often paid by people who have lived in their home for years and have already paid thousands of dollars in annual property taxes so transfer taxes are nothing more than double taxation. Although transfer taxes are not currently imposed in the state of Missouri, the Missouri Constitution does allow state and local government to impose transfer taxes at any time. That being said with the current state of the economy and tax revenues falling,politicians a... 02/08/2010

Census Bureau ALERT! Be careful about who you give your information to during the census.  A bureau worker will have a badge, a handheld device, a Census Bureau canvas bag, and a confidentiality notice.   Be sure to ask to see the badge.  As always, do not let a stranger into your home. The workers are currently knocking on doors to verify address information.  They DO NOT need your bank account info, your social security number, etc.  They also will not ask for donations. Anyone asking for this type of information DOES NOT work for the Census Bureau. Census workers may contact you by telephone, mail, or in person at home. The Census Bureau will not contact you by email, so watch out for email scams impersonating the Census. Some states may ask for the following:  name, age, gender, rac... 01/24/2010

Thankful Thursday...  I AM Thankful I Am Not One of These Real estate needs:  www.SelectAnn.com .   For all your real estate needs in the St. Louis area.  Updated daily.  Sign on for FREE!  Whether you are buying or selling, let me help you! All rights reserved and may not be reproduced or reprinted without express written permission of Ann Hayden, real estate agent with Prudential Select Properties Chesterfield, Ballwin, Wildwood Office.  Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed 01/21/2010

Helpful Winter Tips for Your Car in St. Louis, MO Keep headlights clear with car wax.  Apply regular car wax to the headlights.   The wax contains water repellents preventing the messy winter mixture from building up on your lights.  This should lasts 6 weeks.  Ice-proof car windows with household vinegar.  If frost is on the way, fill a spray bottle with three parts vinegar to one part water and spray the soloution on all your windows the night before.  In the morning, they will be clear.  Vinegar has acetic acid in it.  This acid prevents the water from freezing!  Car doors sticking shut?  Prevent the problem with cooking spray.  Spray the canned cooking oil on the rubber seals around car doors then rub with a paper towel.  The cooking spray keeps the water from melting into the rubb... 01/11/2010

Parkway South Real Estate Market Statistics December 2009 St. Louis County Missouri All Bedrooms: Residential Units Sold:  365 Average sold price:  $230,321 Average market time:  82 days In comparison, here is the breakdown of those numbers in relation to the number of bedrooms per sold units: 2 Bedroom units sold:  22    Average Sold Price:  $163,700  Average market time:  74 days 3 Bedroom units sold:  175  Average Sold Price:  $188,876  Average market time:  79 days 4 Bedroom units sold:  153   Average Sold Price: $280,655  Average market time:  85 days 5+ Bedrooms units sold:  15  Average Sold Price:  $298,160  Average market time:  97 days Information compiled from Rapattoni Corporation. Real estate needs:  www.SelectAnn.com .   For all your real estate needs in the St. Louis area.... 01/05/2010

Candle Lovers Just in Time for Christmas:  O'Fallon, MO Partylite Garage Sale Where:  7 Winding Trails Circle                O'Fallon Mo 63366 When:  Saturday December 19, 2009                 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. This is a cash and carry sale, so only cash or checks will be accepted.  Credit or debit cards will be accepted with a minimum $50 purchase.  Items will include discontinued and current products with at least 70% off.  Many accessories and candle forms are available to choose from but come early because quantities are limited.  You may also order from the new catalog 2010 catalog but these items will not arrive in time for Christmas. Come by and pick up some last minute gifts for Christmas or yourself.  Also be sure to mention where you heard about the sale.////Ann Hayden/ Sel... 12/18/2009

And Now the Rest of the Picture...  Where Are We Follow Up Lambert International Airport, St. Louis, MO...  Not sure if they still call it International. Real estate needs:  www.SelectAnn.com .   For all your real estate needs in the St. Louis area.  Updated daily.  Sign on for FREE!  Whether you are buying or selling, let me help you!  All rights reserved and may not be reproduced or reprinted without express written permission of Ann Hayden, real estate agent with Prudential Select Properties Chesterfield, Ballwin, Wildwood Office.  Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. 12/08/2009

Missouri Record Breaking Day..  No, not the totals of the sales made on Black Friday for Missouri but for the record of the latest day of the first freeze.    The growing season officially ended today with the first freeze of the 2009 fall season.  The long standing record was November 26, 1902. And if you were among the crazy shoppers braving the cold this morning for bargains, I say, "Next year can we start the sales at 11 a.m.??  PLEASE??" Yes, my daughter, sister in law and nieces from Georgia went on a shopping spree.  And now we are all very tired and ready to hit the hay. Hope everyone enjoyed Thanksgiving and Black Friday... Real estate needs:  www.SelectAnn.com .   For all your real estate needs in the St. Louis area.  Updated daily.  Sign on for FREE!  Whether you are buying o... 11/27/2009

St. Louis Missouri Market Report 2008 vs. 2009  These are system wide totals through September 2008 and 2009.  Average list price appears to be increasing. Inventory is not as high as in 2008.  Listings are needed! Please contact me at:  www.SelectAnn.com to find out your homes value in this market. The days on market has not increased by much.  All information compiled using data from the St. Louis MLS, Mid-America Regional Information Systems (Maris). Real estate needs:  www.SelectAnn.com .   For all your real estate needs in the St. Louis area.  Updated daily.  Sign on for FREE!  Whether you are buying or selling, let me help you!  All rights reserved and may not be reproduced or reprinted without express written permission of Ann Hayden, real estate agent with Prudential Select Prop... 11/24/2009

Motivational Monday.... Missing The Blue Sky Real estate needs:  www.SelectAnn.com .   For all your real estate needs in the St. Louis area.  Updated daily.  Sign on for FREE!  Whether you are buying or selling, let me help you!  All rights reserved and may not be reproduced or reprinted without express written permission of Ann Hayden, real estate agent with Prudential Select Properties Chesterfield, Ballwin, Wildwood Office.  Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. 11/16/2009

Banks Charging MORE Fees?? While watching the news this evening (by the way this does not happen often as it is generally depressing), I viewed an article about the fees banks charge to their customers...  Have you ever wondered if those fees add up to much?  I was astonished to learn the fees add up to billions of dollars.  Yes, banks are in the business to make money but come on.  The fees they charge for over-draft protection $35.00?  Inactive account fees $5-10 a month?  The fee when the account drops below a certain balance (they forgot to tell you about the dollar amount) $5.00 a month?  What are the per check fees now?  How much do you pay for your ATM access $3 or $4 a time?  How much is an over-draft $30-$40 a check?  (this has never made sense to me.  Obviously, if you have in... 10/15/2009

Wordless Wednesday...Is There ANOTHER Kind? All rights reserved and may not be reproduced or reprinted without express written permission of Ann Hayden, real estate agent with Prudential Select Properties Chesterfield, Ballwin, Wildwood Office.  Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Real estate needs:  www.SelectAnn.com .   For all your real estate needs in the St. Louis area.  Updated daily.  Sign on for FREE!  Whether you are buying or selling, let me help you! 10/14/2009

Speechless Sunday....My New Friend?   All rights reserved and may not be reproduced or reprinted without express written permission of Ann Hayden, real estate agent with Prudential Select Properties Chesterfield, Ballwin, Wildwood Office.  Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Real estate needs:  www.SelectAnn.com .   For all your real estate needs in the St. Louis area.  Updated daily.  Sign on for FREE!  Whether you are buying or selling, let me help you! 10/04/2009

Realtor Call for Action!  The general public can get involved also! Do not let the sunset on the tax credit! This was emailed to most of you last week.  Congress needs to know we want/need an extension on the $8,000 tax credit.  I have been told if even 25% of REALTORS responded your congressmen would pass it. It only takes a minute or two from the link below. It is your livelihood so you should take the time. http://takeaction.realtoractioncenter.com/campaign/hbtc?qp_source=website I attended the state meetings here in Missouri and was saddened by the fact only 10% of agents responded thus far. Come on people!  This is helping our business and the economy. Thank you for your help. All rights reserved and may not be reproduced or reprinted without express written permission of Ann Hayde... 10/03/2009

Why You Should Buy a Home NOW! This is a great market to buy a home! Interest rates are extremely low. If you are in a position to make a purchase, now is the time. The Federal Reserve has cut the rates as much as possible and they are seeing signs the economy is turning. If you wait, you may miss a chance at a great rate. Paying a higher rate, lowers your purchasing power. The lower the rate, the more house you can afford. So what if you are waiting until prices bottom out. How and when will you know this has happened? Align yourself with a real estate professional and find out about YOUR market. Most agents will help you if you ask. In waiting, you may also miss the home you would have loved to be in. You can make money on a home buying and selling. Think about this, "if I live in a h... 09/22/2009

Speechless Sunday......Another TWO Take the Plunge Remember:  For all of your Real Estate Needs www.SelectAnn.com If you are in the market to buy or sell, why not give Ann Hayden of Prudential Select Properties the opportunity to help you? Contact Ann Hayden www.SelectAnn.com today to get started. Real estate needs:  www.SelectAnn.com .   For all your real estate needs in the St. Louis area.  Updated daily.  Sign on for FREE!  Whether you are buying or selling, let me help you!  09/20/2009

Speechless Sunday......Old Glory has Changed Remember:  For all of your Real Estate Needs www.SelectAnn.com If you are in the market to buy or sell, why not give Ann Hayden of Prudential Select Properties the opportunity to help you? Contact Ann Hayden www.SelectAnn.com today to get started. © Ann Hayden, 2008-2009.  All rights reserved and may not be reproduced or reprinted without express written permission of Ann Hayden, real estate agent with Prudential Select Properties Chesterfield, Ballwin, Wildwood Office.  Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Real estate needs:  www.SelectAnn.com .   For all your real estate needs in the St. Louis area.  Updated daily.  Sign on for FREE!  Whether you are buying or selling, let me help you! 09/13/2009

Wordless Wednesday....Summer's Last Stand Remember:  For all of your Real Estate Needs www.SelectAnn.com If you are in the market to buy or sell, why not give Ann Hayden of Prudential Select Properties the opportunity to help you? Contact Ann Hayden www.SelectAnn.com today to get started. © Ann Hayden, 2008-2009.  All rights reserved and may not be reproduced or reprinted without express written permission of Ann Hayden, real estate agent with Prudential Select Properties Chesterfield, Ballwin, Wildwood Office.  Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Real estate needs:  www.SelectAnn.com .   For all your real estate needs in the St. Louis area.  Updated daily.  Sign on for FREE!  Whether you are buying or selling, let me help you! 09/09/2009

Speechless Sunday...Time to Grow! Remember:  For all of your Real Estate Needs www.SelectAnn.com If you are in the market to buy or sell, why not give Ann Hayden of Prudential Select Properties the opportunity to help you? Contact Ann Hayden www.SelectAnn.com today to get started. © Ann Hayden, 2008-2009.  All rights reserved and may not be reproduced or reprinted without express written permission of Ann Hayden, real estate agent with Prudential Select Properties Chesterfield, Ballwin, Wildwood Office.  Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Real estate needs:  www.SelectAnn.com .   For all your real estate needs in the St. Louis area.  Updated daily.  Sign on for FREE!  Whether you are buying or selling, let me help you! 09/06/2009